


Wolf's Blood

by BWolf_20



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, F/M, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shapeshifting, Wolf Pack, Wolf Tony Stark, Wolves, forced blood drinking, secret life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:14:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27130267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BWolf_20/pseuds/BWolf_20
Summary: As a way to save his life, a pack of shapeshifters introduces the Alpha’s blood into Tony’s system, forever altering his DNA. His first transformation leaves him a confused wolf, but once he changes back and becomes aware of what’s happened, he finds he has a new life to hide. But it’s liable to be difficult when the wolf side of him desires to come out. On top of that, he’s still connected to the pack that saved him.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 12
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> With every October, I always hope to get in a fic fitting of the Halloween month. I had a werewolf fic planned for another fandom, but I've also always wanted a wolf Tony fic. I'm considering this as a simple story, but while I write as I go, new tags and characters may be added.

His hold on the gaping bleeding wound in his abdomen was slipping slowly, as was his hold on consciousness. But he tried to hold on as he took in a great gasping breath while shutting his eyes closed against the pain. It was a fatal wound, there was no point in denying that, but what was wrong with holding on a little longer. There were so many memories he wanted to revisit before he kicked the bucket, but there wasn’t enough time.

A small cry to his left had him turning his head slowly from his position on the ground. The reason for him dying on a forest floor, practically in the middle of nowhere, was cowering off to the side looking terrified.   
It was a girl, a small dark haired, olive skinned girl that couldn’t have been more than seven or eight. And the reason he was bleeding to death was because he had just risked his life to save her from an enraged, hairy looking bastard with sharp, curvy nails that had had the nerve to try and hurt her. In fact, he was certain the man was going for the kill before he’d come along and interrupted, but thank god he had. Thank god he had decided to take a day during his vacation on the small island of Na’kee to walk a trail through the woods. Normally any form of outdoor activity wasn’t his thing, but today he had felt a need to clear his head a little and dabble in something that wasn’t based on technology for a change.

And that simple decision had cost him his life, but at least he had managed to save a little girl. Thankfully he’d kept a piece of the suit’s gauntlet locked away in his watch. If only he’d had the rest of the suit with him, then maybe there wouldn’t be a gaping hole in his belly. 

“It’s…it’s…okay,” he struggled to say as calmly as he could. Tears were streaking down her cheeks now. He’d never dealt with children much, let alone in this type of situation, so all he could think to do was force a smile past the pain. 

Slowly he shifted as he turned to his right, cringing and groaning hard from the effort of turning his head down in the direction of his pocket. With a shaky bloody hand he reached inside and grasped his phone. He wasn’t sure if the girl would understand to call for help. When he had first arrived on the scene, he’d heard her and the man speaking in a language he’d never heard before. The only way he could describe it was animal like; dog like considering the growls and the bark like tones and inflections of their words to one another. Even when he had managed to ask if she was okay, she had cocked her head in confusion like she couldn’t understand him. But he had to try something.

“Call…for help,” he gasped as he tiredly lifted the phone into view. 

The girl looked at the object and appeared confused by it. From the look of her woven clothing and the unknown language, he’d assumed her to be a native, and from her reaction it appeared she didn’t understand what a phone was.

“Please…help.”

Her eyes rounded then, and the next moment she was rising to her feet while wiping the tears from her eyes. When the tears were cleared, Tony swore her irises had become an unnatural golden color. Following this change, the girl threw her head back and delivered a loud and very wolf like howl from her little throat. It really didn’t sound human and it caught Tony by surprise. But he was weakening even more now.  
He dropped his head flat against the earth as he felt his grip on his own body slip even more. Even as everything faded in and out, he could hear her howls clearly. What was she trying to do, summon a pack of wolves? Or perhaps that was her way of contacting her tribe. If he was lucky, they’d know what to do.

He shut his eyes and just tried to breathe. He didn’t want to think about not being found. He tensed at imagining how Pepper might feel not to know.

The sound of several fast moving feet touched his ears, rousing him to open his eyes. A small group of people had arrived, all apparently from the girl’s tribe. One member gave something of a warning growl to the girl while a few others began aggressively speaking in the dog like language. Wary looks were tossed his way, and Tony could only think that they weren’t keen on encountering an outsider. A particularly large, handsome looking male with stern features and long braided hair walked into his line of sight. His sharp eyes shone with a glint of glowing gold just like the girl's. He then knelt and gently placed a hand near the wound, making Tony hiss with pain.

“P-please.”

The wary look in his expression softened as he locked onto his eyes, and it was then that Tony felt there was something very off about this man. He gave off an odd aura of power; a quiet, yet somehow beastlike kind of power that he had never encountered before, and Tony had dealt with a lot as an Avenger.

“Who…who are you?” he asked with an air of awe.

The man looked back as the girl started speaking. Tony supposed she was explaining what had gone down because apparently they didn’t recognize his famous status of saving people. 

When the man turned to him again, it was with slightly narrowed eyes. Tony could barely hold on now. He barely caught the man lifting his hand. If they intended to try and save him, he feared they might be too late. The hand the man lifted wasn’t directed to his wound, but to his own mouth. A second later he caught a drop of blood running around his wrist as the man lowered it toward him. His eyes widened then, and he gaged against the bloody wrist that was pressed tight against his mouth. The man said something, a word Tony assumed to mean drink, but he would not drink blood. How the hell was that supposed to help him?

Weakly he tried to bat away his hand but he was too weak. So against his groans of protest, the native pushed his wrist between his lips enough for long oozes of blood to slip over his tongue. Tony’s attempt at holding back from swallowing failed as a semi coppery and black licorice tasting blood traveled down his throat. Teary eyes did nothing to sway the man to stop. This may be some tribal form of healing, but he wasn’t down for it, yet the native didn’t seem to get it nor care.

Tony maneuvered his tongue to stop the flow, but the wrist was shifted as well to keep him from blocking. Tears streamed down the sides of his face as he was forced to swallow what felt like a lot of blood. And when the man pulled his wrist away at last, Tony had little left on his tongue to spit back out. The rest of it had already slipped deeply into his system. 

“Wha…why?” he managed to ask as he set his fright filled eyes on the man that was now standing and allowing another to bind his wrist with leaves. 

The man just looked down at him and muttered something he couldn’t catch. The world was fading faster now, and with it came a small sensation of heat that was starting to rise deep inside him. Tony choked as he felt it begin to flow through him and intensify. 

Several pairs of hands reached for his body, and he was powerless to stop them from raising him into the air. Everything swayed and blurred, but the heat was something he was keenly aware of. When his head fell back, he caught the eyes of the man who had fed him his blood.

“Wha…wha did you…do?”

The man gave nothing, and everything faded to darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony narrowed his eyes and groaned as he started to come to. Like before he found himself lying on his back looking up at a morning sky. He turned his head and found he was in the woods, and that caused his breathing to pick up because he was now remembering being in a similar situation before, only he was dying. 

With a gasp of fear he raised himself up and reached for his abdomen. The quick movement lit a flame of pain in the area, but it wasn’t the death like agony he had experienced beforehand. It was milder and it had been addressed thanks to makeshift wrappings formed out of wide tree leaves of some kind. 

He dropped his head back as he uttered a heavy breath of relief from knowing that he was going to make it. 

“Could’ve been a dream,” he muttered to himself as he brought back that frightening memory of feeling like he was about to expire alone. No, he hadn’t exactly been alone. That little girl was with him, and she had gotten her tribe to save him. It made him smile a little to know that he had managed to break through the language barrier, but more than that, he was grateful to her.

Then the smile fell and he flicked his tongue as he remembered tasting blood. Thick, weird tasting blood that a man had forced down his throat. He didn’t want to think how sick that might make him later. So with that, he slowly raised himself up with the intent of consulting Jarvis about it, and in order to do that he would have to make it back to his room. 

Upon sitting up, he quickly noticed a tan and gray colored wolf cub sitting off to the side, watching him with an intent kind of curiosity. Tony scrutinized it harder to make sure it wasn’t just a dog, but it definitely looked more wolf like and less domestic pet.

“Okay, this is different.” The pup cocked its head at his words, but otherwise showed no signs of fear. “Your parents aren’t around are they?”

He looked around warily but saw nothing so far. He’d already encountered a native tribe which saved him, and he wasn’t looking forward to now meeting a pack of wolves that might undo that. With a tired huff, he struggled only a little as he climbed to his feet. About a foot away from him he saw his phone on the ground. Tony stared down at the gadget which had already lost battery life. Had anyone tried to contact him? It was all the more reason to hurry back. He pocketed the phone and gave the cub another look.

“You should head home too. Your pack’s probably worried about you.”

The little wolf gave something akin to a huff but refused to budge.

“Suit yourself.”

Trusting that a larger wolf wasn’t going to suddenly jump out and attack him, he turned and followed a trail back to civilization. 

The thin, semi-soft mattress of the inn’s bed never looked so inviting. But as tired as he felt, he could barely sum up the will to take a nap. Since returning, he couldn’t shake his near death experience from his head. It was almost like the wormhole situation all over again, yet not quite as intense. He had ignored the looks he’d been given for his leaf wrapping, and insisted that he was fine to the inn keeper. 

After arriving in his room, he slipped the wrapping down to peek at his wound and was surprised to find that it was practically already healed. That left him to believe there was no reason to worry anyone on what had happened to him in the woods. The natives had done an amazing job, and though he felt compelled to give them some credit by sharing the news, he valued their privacy more. Upon arriving on Na’kee, he’d only heard a brief mention of a tribe of mysterious people living in the woods, and it came off more like some urban legend than fact.

Well that urban legend had saved him as far as he knew, and now all that was left to do was rest up and consider heading home early.

A nightly dinner made up of the island’s spicy fish dish and rice had been good before, but he was suddenly finding it not so appetizing. His stomach turned at the plate and seemed to beg for a nice thick steak, rare.

“Weird,” he voiced as he set it aside and leaned back on the bed. He ran his fingers across his abdomen which was now free of the wrappings. The mild discoloration was the only sign that he had been horribly injured. 

He pressed down with a finger only slightly, and that’s when his core erupted in an explosion of a painful kind of pressure. His cry was cut short as he became breathless as he twisted against the bed. 

“The…hell…”

It had been fine. He’d been well enough to avoid any medical attention, but something clearly wasn’t right any longer. He squirmed hard and arched his back against the bed as the bizarre pressure squeezed and pulled at his innards. Out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed the full moon out of the window. Why did it appear especially bright and intense all of a sudden?

He rolled off the bed completely, landing on his stomach on the floor. His fingers dug into the rug like claws as he unconsciously stretched out his spine in time with a line of dark fur that sprouted down his back. The pain subsided, but the twisting pressure continued, stretching out his limbs and reshaping his legs. Tony was barely aware of how he was changing as he listened to his clothes ripping away. 

“Wha…”

His teeth tingled and sharped as his mouth began to push forward into a muzzle shape. An itch of his ears had them sliding upward while his fingernails lengthened and curled into claws. The hairs of his body thickened into black fur that traveled all over him like fast growing grass. Unconsciously he attempted to stand, but his newly shaped hind legs brought him back down to all fours. His boxers ripped as a tail popped through, and the reality of the situation quickly faded as his eyes and nose reshaped and his hair joined the change into fur. 

Tony teetered on his new legs as his transformation into a medium sized black wolf completed itself. 

He whined worriedly as he cast his gaze around the room that was now unfamiliar to him.

 _‘Where am I?’_ he thought to himself. He took a minute to wrack his brain to discover what he was doing in this strange room, but nothing came to mind, and nothing really looked familiar.

A noise at the window stole his attention and he perked up his ears at the sight of a very large gray wolf peeking in at him. 

_‘Don’t be afraid,’_ he insisted. _‘I’m here to guide you’_

_‘Guide me?’_

There was something about the gray wolf that made Tony feel as though he’d met him before, but in a different way. When he took a curious step closer to him, there was this weird feeling of some kind of connection between them. Were they family of some sort, and he just happened to forget?

 _‘I can’t…remember anything but, my name’_ It was unnerving and made him whine like a scared pup.

 _‘I can help you,’_ the wolf insisted. _‘Come, before humans find you’_

Tony understood the danger and was inspired to hurry forward and leap out the window in pursuit of the strange wolf that led the way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween!

_‘What, was I doing, in that human room?’_ Tony asked as they continued to run in the direction of the woods ahead.

 _‘You’ll understand soon’_ the strange wolf offered back.

Tony wrinkled his nose. He wanted to understand now, yet in a strange way he felt like he almost did. There was a flash where he saw himself looking in a mirror and saw a reflection of a dark haired human. Before he could really examine it, it was gone as if unimportant. Tony decided to focus on his current situation instead.

_‘Who are you?’_

Once they were in the thick of the trees, the stranger turned to him fully.

_‘Call me Ashitha’_

_‘Okay…call me, Tony’_ He bowed his head with worry for the continued confusion he was feeling. As his eyes dropped down to his dark paws, he couldn’t help feeling he hadn’t exactly been born with them.

 _‘Tony’_. Ashitha padded over to him and nuzzled the side of his face gently. _‘I would like to introduce you to your new pack’_

_‘My new…wait, I have a home…I think’_

_‘Come’_

No thought of another kind of home came to mind, so he didn’t see a reason not to follow. 

_‘A pack…of, your kind’_

_‘Our kind’_ Ashitha corrected.

_‘Right’_

Ashitha led him through a thicket and up a rocky path overlooking a fast moving river. The trip was all very calm and peaceful, yet when he glanced up at the moon hanging overhead, a sudden wildness threatened to take him. He stopped following as he lifted his lips back and growled at the bright orb.

 _‘Ignore the moon young one’_ Ashitha advised with a slight growl of his own. _‘It means you no harm’_

_‘Yeah? Well why do I feel like…like…I don’t know. It’s calling to me somehow, in a weird way?’_

_‘You were born under it. It’s natural it would draw out your inner wild, but try to control yourself’_

Now that it was said, Tony felt a strong desire to run wild through the trees. It didn’t matter that he was just a tad bit hungry. To feel the wind roll through his fur as he pounded the ground swiftly sounded great. But he felt a stronger need to listen to Ashitha. 

Up ahead Tony’s sharp eyes caught a group of wolves hanging around the mouth of a large cave covered in vines.

_‘The humans never come here. You’ll be safe’_

The group of wolves perked up with interest at the sight and smell of a new visitor, or rather new member according to Ashitha. Tony came to a stop and simply admired the display of the beautiful species. Gorgeous patterns of tans, grays, whites, blacks, and browns coated Ashitha’s pack, and without getting closer, Tony could see that they were quite large. Two pups peeked their heads out from between two pairs of legs looking curious, while a few adults gave growls of warning. Ashitha issued one back, making them stand down.

A flutter of nervousness rolled over Tony upon realizing where in the hierarchy Ashitha stood.

_‘You’re, the Alpha, aren’t you’_

The answer was clear from the way the watching wolves gave something of a nod of respect as he passed by.

 _‘I am, and I’ll protect you.’_ He stood tall and faced the watchers while Tony stayed back, anxious about this meeting. _‘Our new brother has arrived. He is called Tony. I know you will look out for him as he gets settled’_

Oddly enough, after the brief introduction, a sudden strike of confidence came to him at the attention. He rather liked it, and he was certain he always had. But even as he strolled forward with his newfound confidence, he could sense that some weren’t so happy to meet him. 

A precious looking gray and white female stepped forward to greet him with a rub against his muzzle. 

_‘Welcome, brother’_

_‘An outsider…welcomed?’_

Ashitha narrowed in on the offending wolf with an aggressive growl that had the brown and black wolf dropping in submission.

 _‘He is an outsider no more. And…’_ Ashitha turned to Tony curiously, _‘I expect you’re quite hungry’_

Tony licked his jowls at the thought of food. 

_‘Starved’_

_‘Then rest up. My hunting party will return with nourishment’_

The female led Tony further into the cave while Ashitha gathered several others for the hunt. Tony looked back with an urge to run with them on the hunt, even though he was sure he’d never hunted before. He supposed it was linked to the need to run wild, and with that he looked up at the moon again. Then without thinking about it, he threw his head back and howled long and hard. He was a child of the moon, and he felt he owed something to it, so he howled. Moments later he was joined by the female and the rest of the pack. 

_‘This is who I am. It has to be’_ It felt right after all.

After the singing, Tony padded himself over to a corner of the cave and dropped his furry body to the ground. A couple of the wolves that had remained behind trickled in to greet him up close since their Alpha had now gone. No questions were asked about his past which he was grateful for, because he still couldn’t quite fill them in on anything. And though, for the most part they seemed welcoming, yet at the same time wary, Tony still felt like an outsider intruding on their home despite what Ashitha had said. 

He looked to his watching audience with a sudden drop in confidence.

 _‘Is this pack, really my home?’_ He didn’t add that he felt he knew next to nothing about pack life aside from an Alpha running things, yet at the same time his instincts suggested otherwise.

 _‘It is’_ a tawny Beta announced. _‘Rest your head. You will understand more, soon’_

Tony gave into the order as he rested his head down on his paws. The wolves departed to let him rest. But rest wasn’t coming so easily as his mind was now running wild with questions and curious thoughts that now had him wondering if he’d always been a wolf. He couldn’t recall a previous pack he’d belonged to. He didn’t remember running through the woods before now, or chowing down on game. It was like everything had started in that human room.

_‘You turned afterall’_

Tony raised his head to see a tan and gray cub speaking to him with her head tilted slightly.

_‘Turned?’_

_‘You’re lucky. Thank you for saving me’_

Before Tony could question what she meant, she was called away. 

_‘Saved?’_

Had he saved her and not remembered it? As if in answer of his question, a small dark haired, olive-skinned girl came to mind.

_‘What the hell?’_

He dropped his head down on his paws again and tried to push the curiosities aside. That Beta had said he would understand soon, and he had to trust that he would.


	4. Chapter 4

Sinking his fangs into the juicy meat of the deer was nothing but divine for Tony. Despite the hierarchy of the pack, Ashitha had offered a piece of meat at his feet before walking back to the meal. It was a clear show that he was more than a guest. He was now in the fold of the pack, but by the next day he would have his place in it. There would be no special treatment once his newness wore off. And the idea of that did make him just a little bit nervous. What did he know about being a pack member, when he couldn’t remember his own background?

But he wouldn’t worry himself over that while he was filling his stomach. And as he swallowed down chunks of raw meat, he was reminded of the fact that he didn’t recall ever having tasted it before. That thought didn’t scare him as it just tasted like a delicious new treat he couldn’t get enough of. When it was gone, he found himself whining briefly for more.

He took interest in watching Ashitha and who’m he presumed to be his mate, finish up their first cut at the animal. When he was done, their eyes met briefly. Tony didn’t hold his gaze as he looked away. The interest in consuming more dropped then, and he turned to easing himself down to sleep for the night.

That night he dreamt of running through the woods. He was so swift, and the wind blowing through his fur was great. Far ahead of him he could see tails waving from the running pack of wolves ahead of him. None of them slowed down for him, but that was alright. He could catch up. He would, because he was with them; a part of them.

_‘What the…’_

Suddenly running alongside his left, was a bare, dark-haired man that looked quite familiar. As quick as he’d appeared, he vanished in a flash of red and gold.

Tony snapped his eyes open and jerked from the sudden surprise of the dream. Immediately he noticed the cav-ish ceiling above him. 

“The fuck?”

Fear quickly gripped him at the thought of experiencing Afghanistan all over again. In his quick haste to move, he realized he was lying on the hard earth, and he was completely naked. His mind moved sluggishly to try and explain what looked like some wild night out gone wrong.

Approaching footsteps alerted him to the entrance of the semi-lit cave, and moving forward was a tall, olive-skinned man that seemed familiar to him. He stopped a foot away from him and just observed him with a blank yet curious expression. Tony lowered his sudden rapid breathing as he made to show confidence in the face of a potential captor.

“Before you start with the threats, I’ll save you some time and let you know I’m not building you shit. So you can give me my clothes back.”

The man frowned and took a step forward.

“Did you rest well brother?” he asked softly.

“Did I…what did you…”

The memory hit him then, of the man crouching over him with a bloody wrist he was forced to drink from. Tony jumped to his feet a little too fast as he crashed back down with sudden dizziness. 

“Careful. You’ve just had your first transformation. You will not feel yourself.”

“Transfor…what are you talking about? You forced your blood down my throat!”

“To spare your life. You would not have survived otherwise,” he explained calmly. He dropped down to one knee and looked him straight in the eye. Again Tony felt that odd aura of power coming off of him. It was enough to keep him from trying anything to escape. “I do not grant outsiders the gift, but, it was done in gratitude for saving my cub’s life.”

“Your, daughter you mean,” Tony corrected as he thought back to that scared little girl. He dropped a hand to his forehead as his concern for her pushed his confusion and fear aside for a moment. “How is she?”

“She is well. That wolf you fought was from another pack that has caused my family pain. You are lucky to have survived.”

Tony groaned as he thought back to the hairy bastard, barely aware of the fact that the man had called him a wolf. 

“I didn’t kill him,” Tony muttered. He could see the memory of the enraged man standing over his crumbled form. Thanks to his gauntlet, he’d managed to deliver some nasty cuts and bruises to the man, but he still stood as if he’d really done nothing to him. The hairy bastard had growled viciously and made like he was going to finish him off, but something sole his attention and he took off.

“You wouldn’t have been able to properly kill Broto.”

“So Broto,” Tony said with a dark chuckle. “What about you? Who the hell are you?”

A slight sigh slipped his lips as he raised himself back to his feet.

“I have already shared with you, and invited you into my pack.” Tony made to interrupt, but he continued. “Your memory is not fully intact, but it will come. You will remember who you are now, soon.”

“I know who I am now thank you very much,” he growled. “Tony Stark, genius billionaire super hero Iron man. And since I get the feeling you’re not holding me prisoner, I’ll go ahead and get back to that life. Now where the hell are my clothes?”

“NO!” the man declared with a cold force to his tone of voice that caused a shiver to roll up Tony’s spine. “You are not Tony Stark of the human world. You are Tony, wolf of the Hidden Moon pack. My pack. My brother.”

Now he was starting to feel just a little bit afraid of what this seemingly sound man believed about him. He shook his head slowly and rose cautiously to his feet.

“Forcing me to drink your blood doesn’t make us brothers. And this wolf thing you keep talking about is getting weird. Look you saved me, and I appreciate that, really. Not the blood drinking part, just the saving. But now it’s time for me to go home.”

The man raised his arm toward the entrance to the cave.

“You are free to leave. But know that I am willing to teach you our ways. For a human unaware of _great wolves_ , you will not understand your new self.”

“Thanks for the concern,” he answered flatly. As grateful as he was for the help, he didn’t believe it would be in his best interest to stick around this tribe for too long. He knew nothing about them, and this man was a fairly large, strong looking person. Without his gauntlet, it would be no problem for the native to take him out, yet he didn’t get the feeling that he wanted to hurt him. It was his ideas that was making him nervous. “You got any clothes I can borrow? I’d hate to freak the islanders out even more at my appearance.”

The man chuckled softly then walked away. Tony was left standing in the buff in an unfamiliar cave. He gave a low whistle at how far the man’s tribe went to live like wolves. The sound of a kid laughing, along with low talking from outside the cave caught his attention. 

The man returned with a woven blanket that he tossed. Wordlessly Tony wrapped it around himself, then looked to the man to confirm that he really could just go. The nod he was given was enough for him to turn around and make his way out. 

He paused at the sight of the man’s people outside the cave. Some were settled down chatting happily to others in a little group. A few were gathered around a deer carcass that they were breaking down. On simple woven blankets some slept, and not far away two children ran about laughing. One of them, he realized, was the young girl he had saved. She stopped when she noticed him and stared right back. Soon, the eyes of the rest of her people were looking his way. Tony took it as his cue to start walking. The looks didn’t appear unfriendly. If anything they just looked curious or wary.

“Hi,” Tony nervously greeted as he made his way down past them. “Just gonna, get out of your hair. Don’t mind me. And don’t worry. I won’t tell a soul about you.”

The little girl ran up to him but didn’t get a chance to come all the way as someone stopped her. Were they worried he might be a danger to her? Her expression seemed to question what was happening.

“Glad you’re doing alright,” Tony told her with a smile. “If that, Broto guy tries anything again, just let me know.”

“Leaving?” she finally spoke.

So she could understand him.

“Yeah. I’m going home.”

She seemed even more confused now.

“This is your home.”

Tony frowned at that, then turned his attention back to the cave where his savior now stood at the mouth of it. He found it a little unsettling that he apparently had gotten his people to follow this crazy idea that he was a part of their pack, and a wolf pack at that. Maybe the wolf thing was just an affectionate term used for tribe members, but still, that didn’t make him part of the tribe, especially after drinking blood.

“No. I have another home,” he told her lightly. “And I’ve got to get back to it before I make people worry.”

And with that he walked on without giving this Hidden Moon pack another look.

The first thing Tony did when he hurried to his room was to start packing. It just didn’t feel right to stay any longer given what he’d been through. But then he thought about what he’d said to the girl about Broto. He hadn’t managed to kill him, and from what his savior had said, he was a problem from another tribe, therefore it wasn’t his affair.

“I’m his brother,” he muttered incredulously. “It’s flattering but, what do I really know about them?”

As he made to cross over to the closet, he caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror hanging near the bed. His eyes suddenly glowed gold. He stared, transfixed as he felt his teeth start to sharpen. 

“What the…”

He shook himself out of it, and as fast as the changes had appeared, they were gone. Did that really just happen? 

“I’m, losing it,” he decided as he quickly turned away. “All that damn wolf talk.”

He sped up his packing then, and an hour later he was hurrying out of the room. 

“I hope you enjoyed your stay,” said the inn keeper as he worked on checking Tony out. “More importantly, I hoped you enjoyed your time on our island.”

Tony jerked slightly at that as he automatically thought back to his near fatal run in with a lunatic in the woods. Now it felt like a fading dream. 

“Yeah, it was, interesting.”

The inn keeper eyed him suspiciously under his straw hat as he smiled.

“You may have heard strange tales about this place, but that’s all they are, tall tales.”

“Really,” Tony muttered with an air of sounding unimpressed. “Like the mysterious group of people in the woods?”

The man’s smile widened at that, and he chuckled very softly. 

“People in the woods?” he questioned, as if it were ridiculous. “They are not people. They pretend to be should humans get to close. But they are animals. Wolves.”

“Aahh.” Tony dropped his gaze as he concentrated on getting his cards back into his billfold quickly. The mention of that tribe was making him anxious now. 

“Some people fear them, but I think it’d be an honor, to become one of them.”

Such words snapped Tony to him, and the way the man was looking at him now, made him feel like he could see right through him; like he knew what had happened. And if his eyes had really glowed, could he see that now?

He quickly shook his head at actually considering that as having been real.

“Great, well, I’ve never been around animals much, so I wouldn’t know,” Tony answered quickly. “Thanks for your hospitality. I’m leaving this place a five star review.”

So as not to catch anymore words about that tribe in the woods, Tony quickly gathered his bags and turned, ready to leave that part of his vacation behind.


	5. Chapter 5

Naturally Tony didn’t get in-depth about his vacation time. As far as Pepper and Rhodey knew, the whole thing was peaceful. There was no mention of the possibly life-changing rescue of a little native girl, nor did he bring up a man called Ashitha. He didn’t talk about the myth of wolf people in the woods. It was just an average trip, and he had come back exactly the same.

And yet he tensed whenever he looked in the mirror for too long, fearful of seeing his eyes glow gold again. 

“Stop it. You’re not some…wolf or whatever he called you. You’re still you. Tony Stark.”

Though he told himself such quietly, there was something inside that doubted it. But despite that, he just tried to focus on enjoying a nice meal, which for his first day back consisted of a steak, rare. 

“Tony, since when do you eat your steak that way?” Pepper asked.

Tony was busy enjoying its meaty smell which seemed especially strong for some reason.

“Huh? Oh, I don’t know, I…had some in Na’kee and, got into it I guess.”

He became quite conscious of what he was about to eat, and suddenly it didn’t seem as appetizing. And yet he wolfed it down as though he was starved.

Aside from the apparent preference in taste, there was another subtle change. To his ears, sound was just a little bit sharper. The same could be said for his eyes, he was sure. Things were just a little brighter, and closer, and clearer. Not like it had been before, yet he preferred to make the excuse that he never paid strong attention to how good his eyesight was. As long as his sight was fair he was good. 

Before heading to bed, he would remember to ask Jarvis if there would be a full moon that night, just so he could be aware of it. It never hurt to know afterall. Funny things tended to happen during full moons, as the saying often went. But there was no full moon that night, so as far as he knew, he could sleep soundly. And yet he glanced at his fingernails upon feeling a strange itch there. No claws appeared, so that was a good thing at least.

“Why am I stressing about something impossible?” he muttered to himself as he laid down, willing his mind to find instant peace.

“Is something troubling you sir? Perhaps I can be of assistance,” Jarvis offered.

Tony cringed and curled in on himself just a little.

“I’m okay J. I’m just, still reeling from the trip.” After a moment of thought, he rolled onto his back and gazed up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “Hey J, I know I can trust you with anything.”

“Of course sir.”

“If I happen to, well, look a little different from time to time, don’t go contacting Pepper or any form of emergency services. Especially not animal control.”

There was a brief point of silence before Jarvis replied.

“Is there, something I should know sir?”

Tony took in a deep breath before releasing it slowly.

“I’m not sure yet. But trust me. I’m still the same Tony Stark you’ve always known.”

For the rest of the week, Tony made to stay true to the idea that nothing had changed. He got back into the flow of working and attending dull board meetings. When there was free time, he went to a bar with Rhodey, did some work down in the lab, or held a movie night Pepper and a few members of the team. Normal was the name of the game, and no he didn’t catch his eyes glowing gold in the mirror once or twice. He’d rub them and it was fine. The normal dark brown color was back.

By the end of that week, he was starting to fool himself into believing that there was nothing wrong with him. A trip in the shower one night changed that.

A date night with Pepper had him feeling quite amorous and eager, so much so that the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. The sensation bugged him enough to reach back and smooth it down, and that’s when he felt the something that wasn’t thin like hair. He gasped and quickly adjusted himself to see his back properly in the bathroom mirror. With a growing sense of horror, he saw a line of black fur slowly sprouting down his spine.

“No…no…no…that couldn’t have…I’m not a…”

“Sir,” Jarvis chimed in upon catching his sudden distress. “I’m detecting something, unusual occurring in your biology.”

Tony hissed as the fur trailed all the way down to his tailbone. Catching his attention next were his fast moving fingernails which were becoming triangular in shape. 

“Sir, shall I—”

“NO!” He moved his eyes back to the fur down his back. So far the spread seemed to have stopped. He looked back at his fingernails, and to his relief the length was receding back to normal. “No J. Don’t call anyone.”

“Sir?”

“Remember what I said about, perhaps, looking different from time to time?” He lightly touched the fur down his back and cringed. He really didn’t want to believe this, but it was right there staring him in the face. He looked back at himself in the mirror, and that golden glow of the wolf replaced the dark brown color of his eyes. 

_“You are not Tony Stark of the human world. You are Tony, wolf of the Hidden Moon pack. My pack. My brother.”_

It was as if Ashitha were there, whispering those same words to him in his ear. He shut his eyes and willed himself to calm down. A deep breath in and a slow exhale helped to relieve some of the tension. With it he could feel the wolf inside backing down. It was a feeling he couldn’t describe, and one he hadn’t really noticed until he felt himself become in tune with it.

When he opened his eyes cautiously, the gold in his orbs was gone, and the fur was pulling itself back into him. Standing before the mirror now was a normal man in appearance, and that brought him relief so strong his legs buckled. 

He ran a hand over his face and straightened up. No longer did he feel compelled to take a shower after that little, traumatizing experience. 

“J, I got something big to inform you on, apparently since it turns out it wasn’t a part of my imagination.”

“I’m all ears sir.”

He ground his fingers hard into the bathroom counter, not wanting to say it out loud. But after what happened, he wasn’t sure there was much point in beating around the bush when his A.I had eyes on him at all times. If there were going to be nights, or even moments, when he became something else, he needed someone to make sure he stayed safe. And most of all, he needed someone to keep a tight lip on a new secret in his life.

Tony sat in a recliner in the living room and tapped his fingers on the armrest as he stared blankly at the tv. He wasn’t paying any attention to what was playing as his thoughts were on the lab and the idea that he could create some kind of cure. What stopped him was not knowing enough. Even if he did, his field of expertise wasn’t in medicines. As tempted as he was to peek into the world of fictional stories on werewolves, he never sought them out. This didn’t quite feel like lycanthropy, but it wasn’t like he had anything else to compare it to.

“Sir, I highly recommend that you—”

“No J, come on,” Tony interrupted tiredly as he knew what Jarvis was going to suggest. “I’m not going back to that island. And I’m sure as hell not contacting that tribe.” 

“This is a matter neither you nor I am familiar with. It would make sense to seek assistance from an expert.”

He gritted his teeth at that because he knew he had a strong point. Of course going to someone who knew more than he did, when that was possible, was the smart thing to do. The problem was he couldn’t think about setting foot on that island or seeing Ashitha again without getting anxious. This whole fantastical matter had started there. It was easier to try and pretend that things were still okay, and that he was still in control. It was easier to sit there and consider lying to himself.

Later that night he found himself clutching his pillow as he tried to keep from falling asleep. There was no full moon that night, yet he feared the return of fur and claws while he slept. He wanted to believe that might be as far as it went, but according to the fact that he woke up in a cave with no memory of how he’d gotten there, showed that he wasn’t in control of his conscious. Ashitha insisted he was a wolf now, but no real reminder of it except the smallest gut feeling informed him that he’d gone that inhuman. 

“Sir, you should try and get some rest,” Jarvis advised.

“How can I?” he grumbled as he continued to stare across the room with wide eyes. “After what happened in the bathroom, how do I know I won’t…get worse during the night?”

“I’m always watching over you sir.”

That made him smile just a little, and the fear subsided just enough for him to relax. There was almost no one he trusted more. So his shoulders slouched, and his eyes drooped. His body was welcoming a night of peaceful dreaming. He had been able to sleep soundly without anything bizarre happening while he’d slept so far. Would this night be any different just because he’d sprouted dark fur and watched his nails lengthen? He’d been excited about a date, so the key had to be remaining calm. 

No sooner had he thought he’d had the answer, there was that familiar hairy sensation happening along his back. It was followed by the familiar sensation of pressure twisting and pulling at his core. Only briefly did he flash back to the first time it happened, but it was enough to remind him that he had actually gone all wolf once. He twisted back as his body began to reshape itself; as his teeth tingled and as his hair quickly shifted into dark fur that rapidly spread down his arms. 

“Not this…not this…again…”

But it was this again. He gasped as his body made to take the animal’s form, forcing him to adjust himself down to all fours. By now his arms had become the same length as his legs, and there were no fingers on his newly formed paws. Tony made to scream his offense, but his shifting mouth garbled it up as it stretched out to become a muzzle, complete with a black wet nose. He heard his clothes rip away at his growing size. Not even his boxers could hold in his lovely furry tail. Tony gave a whine as he watched in real time, his eyesight turning sharper and clearer than it had been before, and once it was set, he knew his body was set as well.

Tony teetered on his new legs awkwardly before padding up to a floor length mirror in the corner. He stared at the great black wolf reflected back at him, speechless.

 _‘I…I remember…what I am’_ he thought with astonishment. 

The wolf side of him threatened to slip over his mind, but this round Tony was able to keep it at bay in order to keep his awareness of himself. But considering he was an animal, he wondered if there was any point in being conscious to his new form as the only thing it was doing right now as freaking him the hell out!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a little while since an update, but I'm happy to get back into continuing it again.

The night was calling to him, in the form of a near silent whisper. Tony looked to the door and took a few steps toward it. Outside this building lay a world ready to be roamed. Though he knew the closes thing to the forest he had was the parks, he was fine with it, because at least he’d be out in some form of nature, under a darkened sky.

 _‘Wait’_ He stopped himself and shook his furry head wildly. _‘You’re not…I mean…I can’t, can’t do that’_

It was safer to stay inside. Anyone out late would no doubt freak out about the sight of a wolf roaming around, and the last thing he needed was to be hunted or placed in some zoo. He turned to the mirror again. Now that some of his excitement had died down he felt it was easier to stay rational and calm.

 _‘Alright. You’re a wolf…you’re a, big, furry, black wolf’_ It barely made him feel any better.

“Sir?”

Tony raised his gaze up to the ceiling where Jarvis was most likely experiencing a silent breakdown after witnessing his transformation even if he sounded quite calm. Tony naturally made to respond, but a dog like bark was the only thing that left his throat.

_‘Shit, I can’t talk to him. I mean why would I be able to, I’m a freaking wolf’_

He looked up sadly and tried again, this time by giving off a long howl.

“Sir, if you can still understand me, I’m afraid I don’t quite understand you. But I would still like to be of service.”

He felt his tail wag just a bit at the A.I’s willingness to overcome a certain difficulty in order to assist him. He really couldn’t be more grateful for him now even if he couldn’t really do much for him right now. But the idea of getting his help did make him think of the door again. With paws, it was tougher to open such things now. He just had to hope that Jarvis understood him.

With a spring in his step, he padded up to the door and scratched on it with his front paw while giving a little whine. 

It took a minute, but the message went through as the door was automatically opened for him. Tony made a sound of thanks and exited his room for the front room. The wider space of the living room already had him feeling better. Now the question was if Jarvis would let him go outside. Jarvis always looked out for him. Letting him run wild wouldn’t exactly be the responsible thing for him to do, but he had to try.

He bounded to the front door and tried the same tactic. He could already feel that it wouldn’t work.

“Sorry sir, but I don’t believe it would be a good idea for you to run rampant on the streets.”

He growled despite knowing he had a good point.

Well, what was he supposed to do? Really wait around for his furry coat to dissolve? In a moment of impatience, Tony howled deep and began viciously attacking the door with his claws. The wolf side had taken its control then, seeping in deep and insisting that he didn’t belong in this technical establishment that was meant for man. 

_“You are not Tony Stark of the human world. You are Tony, wolf of the Hidden Moon pack. My pack. My brother.”_

The gray wolf that was Ashitha filled his mind now, and his howls were a desperate attempt to reach him. He paid no mind that he was hundreds of miles away from their island. All he knew in that instant was that Ashitha had come to him when he was born. He had tried to help him, and what had he done in return? He had abandoned the pack in favor of being stuck in a man’s home.

 _‘No…my home’_ he corrected.

He backed away from the door feeling spooked. This wolf side of him was stronger than he thought and he had to get it under the control, least he end up tearing the place apart like a real wild wolf. He was still a man underneath, even if he really was a wolf now. He wouldn’t always look like this. 

“Perhaps I can provide some assistance for the time being.”

It was a curious thing for Jarvis to insist on, so much so he cocked his head in confusion.

_‘What do you have in mind?’_

He saw a few minutes later as a small white rabbit appeared a few feet away from him. It was clear that it wasn’t real; that it was only a projection like much of the data he had Jarvis project to him in a holographic form. Jarvis had fabricated a bunny and was creating the illusion that it was hopping around the room.

 _‘You want me to hunt that?’_ It wasn’t an image that had his stomach rumbling, but he did feel intrigued enough to start running after it. _‘Well I’m sorry to say…it’s working’_

Whether he needed the exercise or not, Jarivs deduced this would be a good way to reduce his inner wild. He had no plan of what he would’ve done if Jarvis had let him escape. He was simply reacting to a strange stir of instincts. As Tony leapt over the coffee table in a mad dash to pounce on the fake fluff ball, he felt relieved that Jarvis wasn’t made to pull pranks, because if he was he imagined he would be recording him and releasing the video online. In truth, he wasn’t sure how much he would care even if Jarvis was willing to do such a thing. It wasn’t as if anyone would know he was the infamous billionaire. All anyone would think was that he’d become so extravagant that he thought it was a good idea to get a pet wolf. His only minor concern was Pepper seeing it as he wasn’t sure what kind of explanation he could give. But he pushed it aside as he focused on trying to corner the thing. 

_‘Damn. Why does a projected bunny have to be faster than me? Aren’t I supposed to be more than an ordinary wolf?’_

He eventually came to a stop as his stomach rumbled with hunger. Knowing he couldn’t very well eat a projected bunny, he turned his eyes to the kitchen. 

Though the fridge required hands to open it, he worked his muzzle against the door hoping it would be enough to act as hands. Luckily the door started to give and to his joy it sprung open. 

_‘Let’s see what’s here that I don’t have to cook’_

He nosed at a drawer that he knew contained ham slices for a quick sandwich. Eagerly he ripped it out and almost in seconds he was ripping the package apart and wolfing down the stack of slices. It easily proved not to be enough. Thankfully there was some bologna in another package so that ended up in his tummy too. 

With a whine he searched for more meat, but the other items available where mixed with ingredients he wasn’t interested in digesting. A hunt was more appealing anyway. To track a live deer with a pack and get his fill, the idea had his jowls drooling. But that of course wasn’t possible where he was now. Tony huffed and padded slowly back to the living room. The bunny that he’d been chasing vanished as Jarivs had gotten the hint that he wasn’t in the mood for more playing.

He turned his gaze to the darkened sky out the window. The fur on the back of his neck rose with the need to try and get out again. It was just calling to him to run loose. It wasn’t even a full moon that night and he was feeling so intensely about running. Then he managed to ground down with his teeth bared and a low growl rumbling from his throat. 

_‘Get ahold of yourself…get ahold of yourself’_

He circled around on the spot and plopped down on the floor. He hoped going to sleep, if that was even possible, would help ease the instinct. Of course transforming back to being a furless man on two legs would help greatly, yet weirdly enough he kind of didn’t feel that bothered about being a wolf at the moment. He couldn’t explain it, so he assumed it was part of the nature of being what he was now.

“Try to relax sir,” Jarvis advised gently. “I’m certain you will be able to sort this out once you have returned to yourself.”

Tony really hoped so. If this was going to be his new normal, he wasn’t sure how he was going to cope. He briefly entertained the idea that he could fabricate some kind of forest on one of the floors of the tower. If that was set up, he wouldn’t have to worry about running outside and potentially endangering someone or himself. 

_‘I hope so bud’_ he thought before setting his muzzle down on the floor.

A yawn broke out of Tony’s mouth along with a wide stretch. He raised his head and blinked bleary eyes. He was slow to acknowledge the fact that he was lying flat on the floor. He glanced at himself and numbly took into account the fact that he was naked. Well he’d had moments like this before, where he’d woken in bed next to a beautiful woman. He could also blame it on too many drinks, but he didn’t entertain it for long as the memories came flooding back.

“Or right…I had fur…because I’m a damn wolf,” he muttered. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly. “A ‘great wolf’ apparently.”

“Sir, are you alright? I have been monitoring you closely while you were unconscious. It appears everything is in order, now that you’ve transformed back into yourself.”

“Not completely,” he said as he pulled himself into a sitting position. 

He tapped at his temples in concern of a headache coming on because that’s all he needed right now. He stopped with a sigh however and looked at his surroundings. Nothing was terribly damaged during his romp on four legs other than the front door, so he was at least grateful for that. But he couldn’t help wondering if that would change. Though he’d had the desire to flee under the night sky, he’d been able to keep the feeling under control that night. He wasn’t quite sure why. Maybe it was because he was so aware of what he currently was at the time. If that changed next time, he imagined he’d look an awful lot like the bloodthirsty werewolves of fiction.

“We gotta figure something out buddy. I can’t imagine I’ll be entertained by fake bunnies for long.”

“What did you have in mind sir?”

What he immediately thought of was contacting Bruce so they could work on some kind of cure, but it shifted when he turned his gaze to the window. It was morning now.

“I don’t know, but, I know what I want, or, what the wolf side of me wants. No, needs. I need to be out.” Maybe building an artificial forest wouldn’t be enough.

The sound of his doorbell rang out into the room and startled him. Tony whipped around on alert and jumped to his feet.

“Who is it? Better not be Pepper.”

“A rather intimidating young man with dark braided hair.”

“Dark braided…”

He shook his head, not wanting to believe who he thought it sounded like, yet at the same time there was something of relief whirling in his gut at the idea that it was Ashitha. He even exhibited a little whine suggesting that he had missed him.

“It’s okay. I’ll talk to him.” With his eyes on the door he walked over, his stomach fluttering with nerves.

“Sir, you might want to get dressed first.”

Tony stopped in his tracks and looked down at himself with a flush of embarrassment. 

“Oh right. I’ll just, yeah, take care of that right quick.”


	7. Chapter 7

He griped his sweaty hand over the knob of the door and released a deep breath before opening it. Sure enough, it was exactly who he thought it was, but naturally he was still surprised.

“Ashitha, it is you,” he gasped. 

To Tony his eyes seemed as sharp as ever as he met his eyes. They even briefly flashed with a hint of gold. Weirdly enough, Tony got the feeling his eyes glinted as well. 

“Not to be, rude but, what are you doing here?”

Ashitha observed him quietly for a moment before shifting his eyes into the room.

“I sense you’re alone. I have a matter concerning our pack…and you.”

“Well, your pack,” Tony corrected. “But come in.”

His stomach twisted at the idea of what his arrival could mean. Already he had a feeling it was nothing good. 

“You are a part of my pack brother,” Ashitha corrected with the smallest and softest smile. “You have my blood.”

“Listen, if you’ve come here asking me to join it, really join your pack, then you’re out of luck. But on that note, how did you find me?”

If anything he looked a little offended at the question.

“As the Alpha, it’s natural for me to be able to track one of my brothers, no matter how far they run.” He settled down in one of the chairs and calmly awaited a response.

Somehow Tony didn’t find it too surprising. He started to speak, but his attention was drawn to his buttoned up raspberry shirt and black jeans. 

“Nice that you found time to do some shopping for yourself,” he said with a nod at his clothing. Tony took a seat across from him while also bracing himself for whatever the man, or rather wolf, was about to say. “So, since leaving wasn’t a good indicator of how I don’t want anything to do with life on all fours in a cave, I guess you had to hear it again. But I’ll humor you because I am a little curious about what matter concerns me.”

A small growl erupted deep from Ashitha’s throat before it was transformed into words.

“Broto,” he stated coldly.

It was enough to get the hairs on the back of Tony’s neck rising. But as the Alpha growled at the name, Tony found himself unconsciously growling with him.

“Broto,” he said as he thought back to the encounter that led him to his new form of life. “What about him?”

“He’s here.” 

Tony straightened up with a jolt, and once again he was back at that point where he was bleeding out with the beast standing over him. It didn’t strike a sense of fear for himself. It did however strike one for any human unfortunate enough to end up in his path.

“Why?” he asked slowly, though he felt he already knew the answer.

“For you,” he confirmed. “Broto, from what I know, is the type of wolf who desires to finish his enemies off in a fight. He didn’t get the chance his first time with you.”

“So now he wants to go another round. A final round,” Tony summed up.

“You need not worry brother,” Ashitha said calmly as he leaned forward. “I can help keep you safe. I’ve brought some of our brothers and sisters with us.”

“I’m not worried,” he said after giving a little laugh. “Not for me anyways. People trying to kill me is the story of my life. The fact that it’s a wolf this time barely makes it different. But I’d rather he come after me than innocent people. I’ve got my best weapon of defense for him.”

“If it’s something related to man, you cannot use it.”

A bubbling feeling of annoyance bristled through him at Ashitha insisting that he shouldn’t use his own tech against a beast.

“Alright, being a wolf man living in the forest, I get that you probably wouldn’t know about some of the ways people protect themselves. Me being a genius, I’ve created the best form of defense. A suit of armor that’s proved quite handy during a fight.”

“I’ve come to understand some of the technologies of humans. My meaning for you not to use your tech comes down to nature itself. You are a great wolf, not a human. When Broto comes, I expect you to know how to defend yourself with fangs and claws. I will show you how.”

There was definitely an urge to argue against this idea. He may not completely be himself any longer, but that didn’t mean he would be giving up everything he’d built before becoming a great wolf. He was still Iron man. He didn’t have to resort to a primitive means of defense. As much as he wanted to argue this, he backed down, and he blamed it on the fact that his senses were warning him that this was an Alpha. His Alpha essentially. 

“So you’re here to warn me and train me. This isn’t about getting me to come back to the island?”

Ashitha leaned back and briefly glanced around his abode.

“You have chosen to live elsewhere, but you will always be a member of my pack regardless.”

Tony swore his chest unconsciously puffed up at his words of insisting that he would always belong. It was similar to the way he’d felt about being a part of the Avengers. Going alone was easy, but there was something to being a part of a team. In a way now, he had two teams he was a part of. 

“Alright.” Tony hopped to his feet with a clap of his hands. “I’ll check and see when I’m free to do any potential training. But just letting you know right now, I’m a busy man.”

Ashitha rose to his feet as well, looking slightly skeptical about his claim of being busy. 

“I shall see you in the night.” He turned and made for the door. Tony blinked and quickly grabbed his arm.

“Wait, what do you mean? I don’t exactly do a lot of entertaining at night, unless I’m throwing a party.”

“I mean when you transform.” His Alpha smiled then and dropped a hand on his shoulder. “I look forward to roaming with you on the grounds of your home.”

“What? No I’m not leaving if I change. I’m staying right here.”

Ashitha’s response was just to smile and pat his shoulder. Clearly the wolf didn’t believe it.

“I shall see you again soon.”

He saw himself out, leaving Tony to stare after him with a feeling that he had no control over the wolf side of his life now that his pack leader was here. 

“Sir, would you like me to increase the security measures on the tower?”

“No,” he said slowly, understanding that Jarvis was offering further protection against his guest. “He’s…he’s not a threat. We’re the same, basically.”

His thoughts suddenly shifted to what he’d said about roaming on the grounds. It was quite appealing, so much so that he could feel his inner wolf rise to the surface a bit. Now he found he couldn’t really imagine spending another night locked in the tower with a holographic bunny to chase. He needed to get out. He needed to stretch his paws and run across real dirt. The thing was his world was mostly a city full of people. If he ventured out and found a nice park, he would have to be quite careful. But first he had to ask himself if it was worth it.

“J.”

“Yes sir.”

“Don’t lock the doors at night. At least not for me.”

He trusted the A.I knew what he meant. 

Sleep didn’t come so easily that night. All he could think about was the prospect of shifting. More than that, he worried about Ashitha returning in the night in his gray wolf form. Well if he showed up he wasn’t going to go anywhere with him. He would sink his claws into the floor if he had to in order to prove his point.

The nightly hours passed one by one, and as they moved he felt no inkling of a change. It made him wonder if it was even coming. Maybe there would be nights when he wouldn’t change. He knew it didn’t take a full moon, so the only thing he had to go on is the theory that strong emotions shifted him. If there was something else that was triggered by other means, he didn’t know what it was. If that was the case, then it was sort of a good thing that Ashitha was around. He needed to understand this better if he was going to live with it.

The hours kept passing until he quietly fell asleep. No fangs or furry tail sprouted that night.

The next morning, Tony eagerly piled his plate with a stack of bacon, several slices of ham, and a couple of sausage links. There wouldn’t be any Cheerios for breakfast when he was feeling so carnivorous. Abating the appetite felt ideal since he had a couple of meetings to get to that day, and naturally he didn’t want to wolf out in front of anyone. 

“Are you certain you wouldn’t like a side of scrambled eggs sir?” Jarvis questioned, earning a mini growl from his creator.

It was nice to receive a visit from Bruce, even though he had called him up and strongly pushed the idea that he should come around fairly soon. There was no one who had more experience with shifting than Bruce. He wasn’t going to come out and admit what was going on, but he figured poking at Bruce for further insight on having a Hulk side would help him in some way.

“So ah, Brucey baby.”

Said man quirked a curious brow as he looked over at him from his spot at a table in the lab.

“Yeah?” he asked cautiously.

“You know that big green angry guy you’ve got inside you?”

“Green Giant? Oh, you mean that, oh what’s his name…Hulk…yeah, I think I’ve heard of him.”

“Ha ha. If you’re gonna make fun of me at least do better.” 

Bruce just smiled. 

“What about him?”

“Well, I was wondering how tough it was to keep under control. Do you, sometimes go green out of the blue?”

Bruce turned to him full on, looking quite suspicious about the question. Tony ducked a little while reprimanding himself for pushing it too far.

“It’s just linked to anger. I’m fine if I’m not aggravated. Why? Scared I might turn on you at any second.”

“No no no,” Tony said quickly, concerned that he might have offended Bruce. Already he could see just the slightest inkling of worry that he might be feared from someone who’d always been fine with his green side. “I was just curious about how you keep calm. You know, keep your emotions. As of late, I’ve uh, had moments where I had issues keeping my…ferocity under control. You haven’t seen it, but there’ve been times where I’m basically a wild animal.”

He was treading on thin ice by alluding to his furry little problem, but so far Bruce just seemed baffled. 

“Well I doubt you being a wild animal is anything like the Hulk, but if it’s emotional control you’re worried about, I can show you some techniques.”

“Techniques? No quick fix tricks?”

“Is this a major problem you’re having? Cause if so—”

“No, I uh…I think you’ve answered my question.”

He turned away from him to express that he was done prying into the subject. If he extended their conversation any further, he might as well tell him he was no longer the same man he thought he was, and he didn’t feel ready to do that.

A quick glance down at his fingernails had him hiding his hands quickly in his pockets since they had shifted into mini claws. Really the only one suited for helping him control his own beast would be another beast, or in this case wolf.

That evening Tony sat slouched in his cozy living room chair with a drink in one hand. If he were being honest he really wasn’t looking forward to a rematch with Broto, but he had no reason to believe it wasn’t coming. That had him mildly tense, but he was at least happy that Ashitha had come, along with some members of the pack.

An itch in his arm directed his attention downward. A shot of black fur was springing up.

“What? No no no no.” He looked over at the window. “It’s not even night. Am I seriously going teen wolf now?”


	8. Chapter 8

The drink he’d been sipping on had found its way onto the floor, having dropped from a hand that was now a paw. There had been no halting the process from man to wolf, so a black wolf now occupied the living room.

Tony turned his gaze to the window with a huff. It was barely darkening outside, and yet his new biology had insisted he be a wolf now. Maybe it hadn’t been as simple as being connected to his emotions. Then again, perhaps the stress of thinking of Broto had been just enough to get him to wolf out. That in turn had him wondering if his subconscious just wanted to get the fight over and done with, and in response it turned him into the thing needed to kill Broto; at least in Ashitha’s opinion. He was still convinced that his Iron man suit would be enough. 

“Sir, are you still with me?”

Tony raised his head to the ceiling at Jarvis’s question. In answer he gave a wolfish bark, hoping it would be enough to convince him. He did feel very much in control of himself, so that was one less thing he needed to worry about. He turned to the door as he thought of the gray wolf.

_‘Ashitha’_

Suddenly feeling lonely for him, Tony threw his head back and howled long and hard. When he’d finished his lonely howl he hurried to the door and proceeded to attack. The claws came out as he violently ripped at it, desiring hard to get out. His brother had come. His Alpha was here, and he needed to be with him, especially at a time when such a dangerous beast was about.

“Sir, it wouldn’t be wise for you to leave the safety of your home.”

Tony looked up at him and growled sharply. He’d break it down if he had to. Right now he felt powerful enough to do so.

_‘Let me out Jarvis! I have to be out!’_

He banged into the door. With his fangs bared he snarled at the ceiling. The claws clawed into the door even harder, causing horrible damage. He would tear the tower down if he had to, just to leave it even though he knew it wasn’t helping his case. Jarvis would most likely be further convinced that he shouldn’t go out based on his current behavior. But he had no desire to control himself. The message had to get out. 

_‘Let me out Jarvis! LET ME OUT!’_

He howled again, the sound coming out in something of a painful tone.

_‘Please’_

He was desperate. He wasn’t leaving to hurt anyone; not when he was in control. He just needed to see Ashitha.

After what felt like an eternity, Jarvis gave his answer in an unexpected way. Instead of flat out telling him that it was too dangerous for him to leave, he simply unlocked the door and opened it. 

Tony stared at his form of escape in surprise. It was as if Jarvis somehow understood him, or perhaps it was more that he trusted him.

“Please be safe sir.”

Tony took a few uncertain steps toward the open door. He figured there was a chance that the doors would just suddenly close when he got too close, but Jarvis wasn’t like that. Still he was caution, but when he made it close enough, he flat out ran out the opening, leaving no chance for Jarvis to shut the door in time.

Tony glanced back at it once he was in the hall. As grateful as he was for the freedom, he was at the same time concerned about Jarvis’s choice. It was a reckless one, and he would have to talk to him about it, but later. Right now he had to find Ashitha.

From the fact that Jarvis had assisted by opening the door, Tony knew it wouldn’t be a long stretch to assume he’d help him escape the tower fully, and he was right. The elevator doors opened and without having to have need of his fingers, Jarvis brought it down to ground level. From there, Tony dashed out the sliding doors. A shriek of surprise was his first sign of getting caught as a passing woman had narrowly missed walking into him just as he’d run out. 

Tony picked up the pace, dashing around a corner and seeking out the nearest alleyway. His heart was pounding now from the thrill of what was happening. As he rose his head to the sky, the thrill only increased.  
He was out! He was outside again! It may not be the same as being on an island, but it was still outside. 

_“Alright, all I need to worry about are humans.”_ He found himself growling slightly at the idea of how much of a nuisance that would be. He looked to the sky again. It was darker now, but not as dark as he’d like. He would have to be careful.

He kept his ears alert and his eyes sharp. Being that this was the city, there would still be people out and about. That made Tony wish there was a curfew for them to be in, at least just this once.

_“Where are you Ashitha? I’m out, just like you predicted I’d be.”_

He sat on his haunches in the shadows, looking out into the street from the alley. He wondered if it would be too much to hope that the wolf would come to him. It would be so much easier that way, but when had things been easy for him?

_“Getting the feeling I’ll have to go to you. Just what I wanted.”_

As soon as he got to his feet, he got the feeling that it really was what he wanted. The night was calling him, loudly. How he desired to answer to it with a howl, but naturally it wouldn’t be bright to call attention to himself. So instead he hunkered down, deciding to at least wait until it got just a little bit darker. 

The wait wasn’t long for a darker sky, and with relief, Tony rose to his feet. Once he saw a good opening out of the alley, he fled. The only safe spot he can think of is a nearby park. 

As he runs, a few gasps and even a couple of screams sound in the air. He could imagine the morning news would be littered with claims of people sighting a large wolf. It was all the more reason to create an indoor forest in the tower. For now he put it out of his mind as he wove in and out of the shadows. 

He was more alert than ever, and rather than leading with his eyes, he unconsciously let his nose lead the way. Something told him Ashitha was close. He could feel that he was coming. 

_“Please nothing go wrong,”_ he begged mentally. All it would take was the wrong person catching him, or worse his wolf nemesis Broto.

Tony ducked into a nearby bush once he reached the park. He watched anxiously as a couple passed by on their late night stroll. If there was anyone else about in this park, he suspected it would be the bad kind of people, but that didn’t worry him. 

He followed a path to an area that provided more shadows thanks to the trees. When the wind shifted just right, his nose caught the scent of his brother. The steady sound of paws hit his ears before said wolf made his appearance before him. Even though it wasn’t obvious, Tony had an inkling that Ashitha was smirking at him. 

_“You came,”_ Tony noted happily.

 _“That should be my question to you, although I knew you would free yourself of your human prison.”_

Tony ducked his head at that. He’d been certain he wouldn’t be leaving his tower upon his next change, yet here he was.

 _“You obviously know the wolf side of things better than I do,”_ Tony remarked. _“Since that’s the case, I’m hoping you can help me tackle it.”_

_“You mean through a cure.”_ Ashitha actually growled at that and flattened his ears back in offense. Tony immediately felt bad.

_“No, no I don’t mean…I mean, I’ve come to accept that I’ll be living with this, but I need a better understanding of how the transformations work.”_

_“I can help you, but we have other matters first.”_

_“Broto.”_ Tony agreed.

Ashitha lifted his head, sniffing the air.

_“Yes, and we do not have long to wait. Unfortunately.”_

Tony’s gut filled with dread as he knew exactly what Ashitha meant. And as if answering the cue, a horrible snarl filled his ears. Tony turned in time to see a large, tan and black furred wolf step out from the trees. Its lips were pulled back showing fangs that looked bigger than Ashitha’s. Its eyes were a fierce and scary gold, and the way the black fur lined around its face, created something of a scary mask on the wolf. To Tony, he could almost be passed off for a supernatural animal. Though the great wolves already did have a supernatural look to them with their extra-large size, they still had the coating of normal wolves. Broto seemed to barely pass for normal with his coat, then again, Tony hadn’t exactly looked at a ton of wolf pictures.

 _“Ready yourself,”_ Ashitha instructed as he grounded himself and growled back with the intensity of thunder.

Tony found himself stepping back cautiously. This wasn’t supposed to happen right now. He was supposed to have his suit on him before this fight. Broto wasn’t supposed to show up until he was well prepared. Ashitha hadn’t even trained him on fighting as a wolf, not that he’d wanted that, but still.

 _“If only I could call the suit,”_ Tony hissed as he too began to growl at Broto.

 _“I told you no man made weapons should be used in a wolf’s fight”_ Ashitha admonished with a frightening growl directed at him.

Tony cowered just briefly. 

_“It’s how I work, Ashitha, but don’t worry. It’s not happening. I needed to update the software in it, so I couldn’t call it even if I wanted to.”_

Broto’s eyes had been more focused on Ashitha, but then they shifted to Tony. A wave of nervousness rolled through Tony’s form. He could sense the beast smiling on the inside.

_“Ashitha gifted you I see, but that changes nothing. You’ll be as weak as you were as a human.”_

_“Don’t be so sure.”_ Ashitha growled with something of pride in his tone. It surprised Tony a bit considering the fact that the wolf hadn’t seen how well the gift had worked on him so far.

 _“It is time for us to finish our battle,”_ Broto said in a thunderous tone. _“For interrupting my kill of that cub, you will take her place.”_

Ashitha growled harder at the reminder of his cub being attacked. 

_“No one’s taking anyone’s place. You shall die here.”_

Tony wanted to feel as confident as his alpha, but it was hard when he wasn’t exactly clued into fighting. Seeming to sense this, Ashitha glanced at him.

_“Don’t worry. All will come to you naturally. You are a wolf afterall.”_

Tony really hoped that would be the case.

_“I hope you’re right.”_

He bared down, readying himself for something he wasn’t sure he was ready for.

**Author's Note:**

> The forced blood drinking was definitely inspired by how vampires turn their victims in some forms of vampire rules. With this fic, I'm inspired by a couple of rules of supernatural transformation.


End file.
